Updates of the persecution of Baha'is in Iran

[ProudMuslim]

I have befriended 3 Bahais in my life, one of them was too dear. I have nothing but respect to Bahai and i want you to know i am 100% against the abhoring treatment by the Iranian government and any other country is Middle East. I believe these times are the medieval era for Middle East (most countries). My friend, who is not Iranian but from the Gulf States, told me that in Iran Bahais are not allowed to go to Universities!!! What is worse than snatching from someone the right to educate and become a better citizen for his/her country? For most countries of Middle East this is the medieval era, in many ways because of illiteracy and its extremely frustrating when they you see a government working on spreading further this cancer of nations.

Not only no one has the right to force anyone to embrace a certain religion or denounce another "There is no compulsion in religion". My knowledge in Bahai is not very good but i do know that Bahais are the only people outside the Islamic world who believe in the prophecy of Muhammed (PBUH) and divinity of the Holy Qur'an. So we are very similar.

Please do know that many Muslims consider Bahais as brothers and stand by them.

 

[arthra]

Thanks very much for your post Proud Muslim! and your support..

Baha'is have no animosity for Muslims either and welcome warm friendship with Muslims. Yes we do have some things in common. I also served on an Interfaith Council recently and worked closely with the Muslim representative.

For thousands of years the nations have denied each other, considering each other as infidel and inferior. It is sufficient. We must now realize that we are the servants of one God, that we turn to one beneficent Father, live under one divine law, seek one reality and have one desire. Thus may we live in the utmost friendship and love, and in return the favors and bounties of God shall surround us; the world of humanity will be reformed; mankind, enjoy a new life; eternal light will illumine, and heavenly moralities become manifest.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 66)

 

[BruceDLimber]

I'll chime in, too.

Thanks so much, PM, for your kind words of support!

Best regards,

Bruce

 

[arthra]

Australian MP speaks in support of Yaran

March 22, 2009

Editor’s Note: In the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights of the Baha’is in Iran, Australian Member of Parliament Andrew Robb delivered a speech calling on the Australian government to urge the release of the now-dissolved Yaran and to implore the Iranian government to allow Baha’is the right to ‘freedom of thought, conscience and religion’. The speech was delivered in the House of Parliament on the 12th of March, 2009. Readers may note that Australian MP Luke Simpkins had raised the same issue at the end of February, also in the House of Representatives. (See Luke Simpkins’ speech - PDF)
The Baha’i community acknowledged the speeches: “We appreciate that these MPs have spoken out so strongly on this shameful abuse of human rights in Iran,” said Tessa Scrine, a spokesperson for the Australian Baha’i Community. “The whole world, and the Iranian authorities themselves, know the charges are false”. Three of the Baha’is falsely charged with offences in Iran have close relatives in Australia.
To the House of Representatives
I rise to speak on the persecution of people of the Baha’i faith in Iran-in particular, the seven believers who have been incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison for eight months. Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion …
Here in Australia, section 116 of our Constitution prohibits the government controlling or mandating a particular religion. However, such is not the case in Iran. On 18 February this year, I met with two representatives of the Bayside and Glen Eira Baha’i communities, Mr Murray Davies and Ms Niloufar Zamani. Mr Davies and Ms Zamani shared with me what they called ‘the continuing abuse of the fundamental human rights of the Iranian Baha’i community’ and what they saw as ‘a renewed wave of persecution and control similar to that which occurred in the 1930s in Nazi Germany’.
Founded in 1844, the Baha’i faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. Today the faith has more than five million believers. The largest population of Baha’is live in India, numbering around 2.2 million. The next largest population exists in Iran, at roughly 350,000 people. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the Baha’i community has suffered the effects of a systematic campaign orchestrated by the Iranian government. The government’s aim is to eliminate the Baha’i community as a viable entity in Iran, despite Iran being the birthplace of the faith. To begin, the Iranian constitution does not recognise the religion. Baha’is are not permitted to meet, to hold religious ceremonies or to practise their religion communally. Holy places, shrines and cemeteries have been confiscated and demolished. According to Amnesty International, hundreds of Baha’is have been executed for refusing to recant their faith and embrace Islam. Since the election of President Ahmadinejad in 2005, dozens more have been arrested.
Amongst those who have been recently arrested are seven leaders of the Baha’i organisation known as Friends of Iran. The organisation is believed to have served as an ad hoc coordinating body representative of Baha’is in Iran, apparently to the full knowledge of the Iranian government. Recently, however, the government labelled the organisation illegal and arrested its seven leaders-one in March 2008 and the other six in May 2008. They are expected to go on trial shortly on charges of espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the system. Amnesty International considers the charges to be politically motivated and those held to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely because of their conscientiously held beliefs or their peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community.
The accusation of spying has been used as a pretext to persecute Baha’is for more than 75 years. They have been accused of being tools of Russian imperialism, British colonialism, American expansionism and, most recently, Zionism. The seven imprisoned leaders are being held in section 209 of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, run by the Iranian ministry of intelligence. After eight months, no evidence has been brought to light by the prosecutors. The five male detainees are said to be held together in one cell of about 10 metres squared without any beds. All have been permitted access to relatives but none has been granted access to their lawyer. The lawyer is said to have been harassed, intimidated and threatened since taking on the case. The trial is expected to take place shortly in the Iranian revolutionary court. If convicted, the seven will face lengthy prison terms or even the death penalty.
This is not the first time the plight of the Baha’i community in Iran has been raised in this House. In 2006, the members for Macmillan, Boothby and Stirling, with strong support from the other side of the House, spoke with heavy hearts as they recounted stories of persecution passed on to them from their local communities. As they did then, I today call on the Australian government to continue to raise this matter with the Iranian embassy and urge the immediate and unconditional release of the seven prisoners. I appeal to authorities to ensure that the seven prisoners are protected from torture and other ill treatment and to ensure that they are given regular access to their relatives and lawyer. Finally, I implore the Iranian government to stop persecuting the Baha’i people and allow their citizens the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
[Source: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/2009-03-12/0108/hansard_frag.pdf]

 

[arthra]

Update on two Baha’i Prisoners in Mashhad

March 28, 2009
Iran Press News reported the following on Saturday, March 28, 2009:

Two Baha’i citizens by names of Jalayer Vahdad and Sima Eshraqi were arrested on January 26, 2009, in Mashhad and as of this writing (March 28) continue to be incarcerated in solitary confinement.
​

So far, the authorities have given no reason for the arrest of these individuals to their families. During this period, a period exceeding 60 days, Mr. Vahdad has not been allowed to meet with his family at all.
​

The other prisoner is Ms. Sima Eshraqi and she was allowed only a single meeting with her family on March 10. The legal case and charges against her also remain completely obscure.
[Source: http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/056695.htm. Translation by Iran Press Watch. The story was also covered at HRA Iran at http://hra-iran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=783:34&catid=84:502&Itemid=219]
​

 

[arthra]

Further to Iran Press Watch report of April 16, 2009, http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/qibm/, on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Human Rights Activists of Iran posted the following report, which appears below in translation:

In continuation of widespread harassment of the Baha’i residents of Mashhad, three (3) more Baha’is of this town were called in by the Information Office of the Ministry of Intelligence.
​

On April 14, 2009, Suheil Nasirzadeh, Babak Ruhi and Ezzatu’llah Ahmadian were summoned to the Information Office of the Intelligence Ministry. Like other Baha’is brought in during the recent days, they too were asked to sign a surety guaranteeing that they would not participate in religious gatherings [related to the Baha'i religion].
However, the above named individuals stated that such a request was illegal and refused to sign the document. Thereupon, Ruhi and Ahmadian were threatened by the authorities who stated, “If you continue to refuse to sign this statement, your previous case will be opened again.” It should be noted that three years ago, these two Baha’is were arrested for copying religious documents and were incarcerated by the Ministry of Intelligence for 15 days in Mashhad.

Source:

Baha’is Continue to be Harassed in Mashhad | Iran Press Watch: The Baha'is
​

 

[arthra]

http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/attorney-general/
Fourth Charge added against Imprisoned Baha’i Leaders


April 27, 2009

Iran Press Watch has learned through reliable sources close to the seven (7) imprisoned Baha’i leaders (formerly known as Yaran) that the families of the incarcerated Baha’is were allowed to meet with them today, Monday, April 27, 2009.

In this meeting, the imprisoned Baha’is reported that last week they were interrogated by the judiciary official in charge of the preparation of the case against them. A new charge has been added to the previous three (3) charges against them, namely: Aiding, teaching and propagating the Baha’i religion in Iran.
This charge is equivalent to “mufsed fel-arz” [corrupt on earth], which historically has carried harsh penalties, including the death penalty.

One of the Baha’i leaders, Mr. Khanjani, however expressed his joy over this new charge as it makes it clear that the Baha’is are imprisoned because of their religious belief.

The family members have reported to Iran Press Watch that all seven imprisoned Baha’is appeared in good health and spirit.





Source:

Fourth Charge added against Imprisoned Baha’i Leaders | Iran Press Watch: The Baha'is

 

[arthra]

Download: NSA Iran 1980 (WMV)

All members of the 1980 National Spiritual Assembly of Iran "disappeared" and what happened to them remains a mystery but it is believed they were executed.

 

[arthra]

Iranian Baha'i leaders may face new accusation on anniversary of imprisonment

NEW YORK, 12 May (BWNS) - The seven Baha'i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.

"Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now, against all international human rights standards," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

"Moreover, their families have recently been told of a possible new charge - 'the spreading of corruption on earth,' which goes by the term 'Mofsede fel-Arz' in Persian and carries the threat of death under the penal code of the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Ms. Dugal.

"The sequence of events surrounding their detention exposes a shameless travesty of justice. Notwithstanding their having been subjected to intensive interrogations, it took a full seven months before they were given even a single pretext for their detention. On February 10, 2009, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Tehran deputy prosecutor Hassan Haddad as having said that the investigation of these individuals was complete and that 'the case will be sent to the revolutionary court next week' and that these Baha'is are accused of 'espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' The international protest expressed by governments and civil society was immediate and widespread, causing the Iranian authorities to review their approach.

"Now a new wrongful accusation reportedly has been added some three months after the investigation was supposed to have concluded. The charge of being spreaders of corruption was used against the Baha'is who were executed in the years immediately following the Islamic revolution. That it may now be resorted to in this case is a further demonstration that the authorities have no basis for any allegation against these seven individuals, other than blatant religious persecution. This action against the Baha'i leadership reflects the government's sharply increased persecution of the entire Iranian Baha'i community of more than 300,000 members.

"The upcoming anniversary of their arrest offers an important milestone and we ask that the international community re-state once again in the strongest terms its demand for their immediate release, or, at least, for a fair and open trial that meets international standards of justice," said Ms. Dugal.

Ms. Dugal also noted that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has frequently emphasized the importance of "justice and human dignity" and "the establishment of a just world system," such as when he addressed the UN Durban Review Conference in Geneva last month.

"How can the calls of the Iranian leadership for justice in the international sphere be taken seriously if they do not grant justice to their own citizens? In Iran, by all accounts universally agreed upon human rights are routinely ignored, not only for Baha'is but also for women, journalists, and others who only seek dignity and justice," she said.

The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad.

For more information, go to http://news.bahai.org.

 

[arthra]

I am Haleh Rouhi, a Baha’i Prisoner

By Haleh Rouhi-June 12th, 2009

Editor’s Note: In May 2006, a group of over 80 dedicated individuals were arrested in and around the city of Shiraz. They were involved in a teaching project benefiting underprivileged children of several neighborhoods. The volunteers taught the children basic personal hygiene, moral principles and kind ways to interact with others, including parents and siblings. At first children came only slowly to the volunteers, some with their pocket knives ready! Their attitude soon changed. They even started getting up early on the days of their class to tidy the open field, clearing away the garbage and debris, sprinkling water to reduce the dust in their gathering area and generally preparing the field for their class.


The volunteers had obtained permission from the Islamic authorities of the city to conduct their activities. Muslim members of the group were immediately released. However, 54 Baha’is were detained for a few days, but later released on bail. In August 2007, these Baha’is were tried by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court. They were charged with “offences relating to state security”.

Three of them, namely, Raha Sabet, Haleh Rouhi and Sasan Taqva, were sentenced to four years imprisonment for “organizing illegal groups” and “propaganda on behalf of groups that are opposed to the Islamic regime”. The other Baha’is in the group received a one year suspended sentence provided they participate in a three year “Islamic studies’ course, much of which consists of anti-Baha’i propaganda, to which students are not allowed to respond.The essay below is written by Haleh Rouhi, one of the three Baha’is sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment. Translation is by Iran Press Watch.

By Haleh Rouhi ( on May 21, 2009)

With utmost sincerity, I traveled for a year to a district near Shiraz known as Sahl-Abad in order to help a small group of underprivileged residents, hoping that I could bring joy to a heart, comfort a soul and help a weak spirit.

One day, as I was driving home alone in the car, I was stopped and arrested by Islamic authorities. When I asked for an arrest warrant, I received a harsh reaction, and was taken into custody without seeing any warrant. On the same day, a few Islamic militants showed up at my home while my mother was alone. They forced their way inside, took all my personal belongings and all our family photos. To this date none of the items have been returned.

I was interrogated for 28 days at the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence. During the whole process, I explained with the greatest honesty all the activities in which we had been engaged. Again, at the court proceedings, I clearly explained in detail all the humanitarian services we performed to the respected judge assigned to my case.
In October 2007, after interrogations were concluded, I was sentenced to four years of imprisonment. I could not believe what I was hearing. I appealed, requested a revision of my case and of the charges against me. As I was waiting for the result, I was summoned to the office of the Ministry of Intelligence by a phone call. Upon arrival, I was taken to a cell and two days later, I was told: “you are here to serve your jail term and you will remain here for four years”.

Today over 18 months have passed since that day.

During these months:


I have been deprived of contact with other prisoners and have been denied even the social life to which regular prisoners are entitled. I have only been granted a 5 minute family visit each week. Prisoners are allowed daily phone contacts with their families; however, I have been denied this. For the first 8 months, I was even deprived of having a book.

Prisoners are entitled to family leave, they are granted 5 days for every 25 days of imprisonment. The leave has turned into a struggle for me and my family. For no valid reason, and for a long time, the intelligence office and the courts force my family to go from one government office to another, before I am finally granted a leave. The time between my leaves is generally 3 or 4 months and sometimes even longer. In order to renew my family leave, we have to spend hours and hours in the courts with the hope of obtaining permission for an additional 5 days or a week with my family.


A prisoner has to be in jail, but I am kept in a detention centre that is normally used only for initial questioning. My cell has no openings; my food is left for me behind the door. If I need to get out of the cell, that is not possible. I have to spend the whole day in the confined area. If I am taken out at any time, I am blindfolded. I am only allowed 10-20 minutes a day out of my cell, in an enclosed area without a roof, for fresh air. Even the timing of this short break is determined by the prison guards; nor is there any possibility to extend these few minutes.
<LI class=txt>Is a ten minute break sufficient for a person who is kept 24 hours a day in a closed cell?

I have let go of whatever happened before the issuance of my prison verdict. Today, if I am a prisoner, treat me like one. If I am a prisoner, take me to a prison, let me get fresh air, let me have access to a telephone, let me have contact with others, let me have the same social life and rights to which prisoners are entitled, etc. Did the organization in charge of overseeing the prisons include this detention centre (called Plock 100) in its list of prisons? Does the prisons organization accept the conditions of the detention centre in which I am held as a prisoner? Does the organization accept this detention centre as a prison?

Signed Haleh Rouhi


Source:

I am Haleh Rouhi, a Baha?i Prisoner - Iran Press Watch

 

[arthra]

According to information conveyed by the authorities in Evin prison to the family members of the seven Baha'is who have been imprisoned in Tehran, Iran, for over a year, their trial date has been set for 11 July 2009. This information has been provided to the family members only orally and, as information conveyed by officials concerning the judicial process has often proved unreliable, it is possible that the Iranian authorities may find some reason to change the trial date.

The seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held more than a year without formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha'is will be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic."

The trial is apparently scheduled to be held at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court. This is where American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was recently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. She was eventually released, but only after an international outcry at the clear politicization of the case and manifestly unjust legal procedures.

"These seven individuals are facing completely false charges," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "They - along with the some 30 other Baha'is currently in prison in Iran - are innocent of any wrongdoing and are being held solely because of their religious beliefs."


To read the article on the BWNS Web site, go to:
Reports of a trial date for Baha&#039;i leaders falsely accused of espionage

For the Baha'i World News Service home page, go to:
Bahá'í World News Service - Bahá'í International Community

 

[arthra]

June 27, 2009
On Religion
For Bahais, a Crackdown Is Old News
By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
CLIFTON, N.J.
Sometimes during the past two weeks, making her rounds as a hospital resident, Dr. Saughar Samali has caught a glimpse of television news in a patient’s room or heard a bulletin on the radio in the family-practice office. Against her desire, against her better judgment, she has been plunged back into the maelstrom of Iran.
As long as she is on duty, Dr. Samali can suppress what she sees and hears of the marchers, the arrests, the beatings. But when she leaves St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson and returns home to nearby Clifton, the present conjures up a terrible past.
She remembers when her father’s factory in Tehran was set afire, leaving him severely scarred and blind in one eye. She remembers her family’s trying to escape to Pakistan, traveling in a smuggler’s Jeep, headlights out on a midnight desert. She remembers the army bullets that shattered the windshield and pierced the tires, and she remembers the months in prison that followed.
It was 1985, and she was 5 years old. In all the years since, even after a subsequent, successful escape and a new life in the United States, Dr. Samali has not forgotten what it meant to be a Bahai in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“I try to turn my emotions off,” Dr. Samali, 28, said of the current turbulence in Iran. “The Bahais in Iran go through this every day. It’s sad to see this, but maybe this is a way for the truth to come out.”
The Bahais have long served as the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of Iran’s theocracy. Their persecution, as documented over nearly 30 years in numerous human rights reports, has contradicted all the näively hopeful predictions that the hard-line surface of Iran obscures a deeper wellspring of moderation and tolerance.
In 1983, the Iranian government banned all official Bahai activity. Deeming the faith an apostasy, Iran’s fundamentalist Shiite government has denied Bahais higher education, confiscated Bahai property, desecrated Bahai cemeteries and refused to recognize Bahai marriages.
During the recent upheaval, which is essentially a struggle among Shiites over the dubious re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bahais have again served as scapegoats. Supporters of President Ahmadinejad have recycled the canard that Bahais are American spies and secret Zionists, and have added a new one, claiming the British Broadcasting Corporation stands for the Bahai Broadcasting Company.
The rhetorical attacks have coincided with the government’s decision to put seven Bahai leaders on trial on July 11 in a so-called Revolutionary Court. The leaders, arrested in early 2008, face charges of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” according to official Iranian press reports. Espionage is punishable by death.

Read more at
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/us/27religion.html

 

[arthra]

Office of External Affairs Email: [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2009​

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]

Roxana Saberi and the Commission on International Religious Freedom
Call for Release of Iranian Bahá’ís Ahead of Trial​

[/FONT][/FONT]

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) have called for the release of seven Baha’i leaders who may face trial tomorrow, July 11, 2009, in Tehran.

Ms. Saberi stated, in a letter to the Commission, "The seven Baha’is, along with at least 20 other Baha’is imprisoned across Iran, are not threats to Iran’s national security but are being held because of their beliefs and peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community. They have been willing to cooperate with Iran’s Shiite Islamic regime, but they refuse to surrender to pressure to abandon their beliefs, knowing that the decisions they make could have far-reaching implications for the estimated 350,000 Baha’is and other religious minorities in Iran."
Saberi was imprisoned in Evin, where the seven Baha’is are currently being held, for nearly four months before she was released as a result of significant international pressure.

According to its statement, the Commission is appealing to the Iranian government to take similar action and release the Baha’is: "The charges against these imprisoned Baha’is are baseless and a pretext for the persecution and harassment of a disfavored religious minority. They should be released immediately," said USCIRF Chair Leonard Leo. "USCIRF urges the President and other leaders in the international community to speak out and call for the release of the seven Baha’i leaders, as the President did for Miss Saberi. These prisoners are in jail solely because of their religious identity, and have not been afforded any due process or direct access to legal representation."

The seven Baha’i leaders have been detained for more than a year without access to their attorneys, including Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Official Iranian news reports have said the Bahá'ís will be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic"—all charges that the Bahá'í International Community categorically denies. The espionage charge is punishable by death in the Islamic Republic.​

 

[arthra]

Baháâ&#8364;&#8482;Ã* leaders await trial in Iran | Persecution of Bahá'Ã*s in Iran

Prayers requested.

 

[Adib]

Bahá’Ã* leaders await trial in Iran | Persecution of Bahá'Ã*s in Iran

Prayers requested.

It has been postponed indefinitely:

Trial Delayed! - Iran Press Watch

Here is a butchered Google translation of a Persian-language source:

Google Translate

 

[arthra]

The latest information I've heard is that the trial of the seven Baha'is noted above is still on hold..No date has been set or it was postponed..

What this means though is that the incarceration of these Baha'is continues in the Even prison of Teheran and in Iran when you are incarcerated the families are incumbered by the state to pay for the incarceration. Note the following story from the LA Times blog:


While in solitary, Saberi says that Kamalabadi "tried to keep her spirits high by praying, reading and exercising, even though her prison cell was small, and she had to exercise in place most of the time."

Saberi, who was released from Evin Prison in May, implored in a letter this month to the White House, U.S. Department of State and a religious rights commission that more be done to "raise the case" for their release.

In May, on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s arrest and detention, Kamalabadi’s daughter Alhan Taefi, 23, wrote a letter reflecting on her grief. "I remember in preparation for the mothers’ day, when all my friends were talking about what presents they were going to buy for their moms, I forced myself not to burst into tears, in order to be strong," she says. "The same way you wanted me to be, the same way you are."

Earlier this year, Kamalabadi noticed that a piece of a carrot from her meal had signs of growth. She took it, wrapped it in paper and watered it inside the poorly lit prison. It grew into a small plant, which she gave her daughter Taraneh Taefi, 14, for her birthday. The experience was so emotional that fellow visitors and prisoners burst into tears as Taefi received it. In Alhan Taefi’s letter, she says, "This plant stood as a symbol of you for me. When I was lonely, I would go and cuddle it, talk to it, caress it, and kiss it — I would feel it was you standing before me."

— Amber Smith in Los Angeles

Source:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/baby...ing-trial.html

 

[arthra]

GENEVA, 12 August (BWNS) - In yet another example of the denial to Baha'is in Iran of their rights to justice, including due process, judicial officials have reportedly set next Tuesday as the trial date for seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders - despite the fact that the lead lawyers registered with the court to represent them are either in prison or outside the country.

Further, efforts to have the accused released on bail have not succeeded. The investigation against them was concluded months ago but they remain incarcerated, without access to their legal counsel and with only the barest minimum contact with their families - contact that did not begin until some five months' after their arrest, when they were finally taken out of solitary confinement.

Authorities recently sent to Abdolfattah Soltani, a key member of the legal team representing the seven Baha'is who is himself currently imprisoned in Evin prison, a notice saying that 18 August has been set as the trial date for the seven Baha'is. Dated 15 July, the writ of notification for the seven gives 9 a.m., 18 August, as the date for the trial, in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. That is the same court that tried Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.

The writ of notification giving 18 August as the trial date was specifically addressed to Mr. Soltani, a well-known human rights lawyer and a principal of the Tehran-based Defenders of Human Rights Center, which was founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi and has since last year undertaken to defend the seven Baha'is.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ebadi, the senior member of the legal team, remains outside the country.

"The judiciary's decision to schedule the trial under these circumstances is an effrontery and yet another tactic aimed at depriving the seven Baha'i leaders of competent legal counsel," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

"The Iranian authorities know full well who is serving as legal counsel for the Baha'is. Indeed, authorities have several times tried to pressure the seven to change lawyers.

"It is the height of absurdity to issue a trial notice to a lawyer who has himself been unjustly imprisoned," she said.

"The willingness of Iran's judiciary to flout the most fundamental internationally accepted norms of jurisprudence were brought to light in the widespread publicity attending the trial of Roxana Saberi.

"More recently, the attention of the world has been focused on the show trial of scores of individuals arrested in post-election turmoil in Iran, also without due process and which has included 'confessions' that were clearly coerced through torture," said Ms. Ala'i.

The Baha'i International Community has called for the human rights of all the people of Iran to be respected and upheld. "Today, then, we raise the call on behalf of our innocent co-religionists, whose only 'crime' is their religious belief, and who face the most severe punishments if they are found guilty of the trumped-up charges against them.

"Instead of going on trial, they should be immediately released on bail, and, at the very least, be given adequate time for their attorneys to prepare a defense," said Ms. Ala'i.

Ms. Ala'i also said that the 18 August trial date could not be taken as firm, noting that the families of the seven had been told in June they were to be tried on 11 July, only to have that date come and go.

"Given the past history of this case, the utter lack of concern for procedure on the part of authorities, and the current situation in Iran, it is simply not possible to know when the proceedings will actually begin," she said.

The seven Baha'i prisoners are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. They have since been held without formal charges or access to their lawyers at Evin prison in Tehran.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic," charges that are rejected completely and categorically.

The ongoing imprisonment of the seven and pending trial is particularly alarming because of their leadership position as the former members of a national-level coordinating group known as the "Friends in Iran." Some 25 years ago, other Baha'i leaders were executed after being rounded up in a manner similar to the way in which these seven were arrested last year.

To read the article online, with a photograph, go to:
Due process ignored as trial date is set for Iranian Baha&#039;i prisoners

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Trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders postponed

GENEVA — The trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran has been postponed until 18 October, the Baha'i International Community learned today.

According to Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva, following a request for postponement of the trial from Mr. Hadi Esmaielzadeh and Ms. Mahnaz Parakand – attorneys from the Defenders of Human Rights Center who are representing the seven Baha'is – the court has decided to delay the hearing for two months.

Two senior members of the legal team, Nobel laureate Mrs. Shirin Ebadi and Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, were unable to attend the hearing as Mrs. Ebadi is out of the country and Mr. Soltani is in prison, having been detained on 16 June 2009 in the wake of the civil unrest following the presidential election in Iran.

"Our hope now is that our seven innocent co-religionists will be released on bail," said Ms. Ala'i.

The seven Baha'i prisoners are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. They have since been held at Tehran’s Evin prison without formal charges or access to their lawyers.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic."

The Baha'i International Community categorically rejects all charges against the seven, stating that they are held solely because of religious persecution.



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Trial of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran looms

GENEVA, 5 January (BWNS) – Recent developments in Iran have raised grave concern about the ultimate fate of the seven Baha'i leaders who are scheduled to go on trial next Tuesday.

"The Baha'i community in Iran has all too often been subjected to campaigns of vilification and false charges devised to deflect the attention of a disquieted population onto the Baha'is and away from those in power," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "And now, in these days leading to the trial, there are signs that once again the Baha'is are being made scapegoats.

"Rather than accepting responsibility for the turmoil in the country, the Iranian government seeks to lay the blame on others, including foreign powers, international organizations and media outlets, students, women, and terrorists. Now the Baha'is have been added to this long list of alleged culprits," she said.

"Over the past several days, Iranian state-sponsored media have accused the Baha'is of being responsible for the unrest surrounding the holy day of Ashura," said Ms. Ala'i. "This is clearly aimed at rousing public sentiment against the seven Baha'is being held in Evin prison. We are particularly concerned that the government, or ultraconservative elements within it, may use the turmoil in Iran as cover for extreme measures against these wrongly imprisoned individuals.

This concern deepened on Sunday, she said, when authorities rounded up 13 Baha'is from their homes in Tehran, took them to a detention center, and tried to get them to sign a document saying that they would not engage in any future demonstrations.

"Putting two and two together, the situation facing these Baha'i leaders is extremely ominous. We are deeply concerned for their safety.

"We expect their trial to be nothing but a show trial, with a predetermined outcome," she said.

"Should anything happen to any of these seven Baha'is before or after the trial, the Iranian government must be held responsible," said Ms. Ala'i. "We ask that the international community indicate clearly to Iran that it will be watching and that it expects any trial to be public and held in accordance with internationally recognized principles of due process."

The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. They were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held in Evin prison ever since.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic." All of the charges are utterly baseless, said Ms. Ala'i.

Trial dates were previously announced for July, August, and October but were postponed each time. In December, lawyers were notified that 12 January had been set as a new date.

Ms. Ala'i noted that persecution of Baha'is in Iran had intensified steadily throughout 2009. Currently, some 48 Baha'is are imprisoned, and many others across the country have been subjected to home searches, confiscation of personal property, and revolving-door arrests. Since last March, some 60 Baha'is have been arrested and imprisoned for periods ranging from overnight to several months.

An anti-Baha'i campaign in the news media campaign has also continued, she said, culminating in the absurd accusations last week that Baha'is were involved in provoking the recent civil unrest on the Ashura holy day on 27 December.

The semiofficial Fars News Agency, for example, reported the next day that Ne'mattollah Bavand, described as an "expert" in political affairs, said "Bahaism under the leadership of Zionism is behind the latest crisis and unrest."

Ms. Ala'i said these statements have raised concern among the Baha'is that there may be a coordinated effort to introduce these false accusations at the upcoming trial.

Among the 13 arrested on 3 January were relatives of two of the imprisoned leaders, including Negar Sabet, daughter of Mahvash Sabet; Leva Khanjani, granddaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani; and her husband, Babak Mobasher. Others arrested were Jinous Sobhani, former secretary of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, and her husband Artin Ghazanfari; Mehran Rowhani and Farid Rowhani, who are brothers; Nasim Beiglari; Payam Fanaian; Nikav Hoveydaie and his wife, Mona Misaghi; and Ebrahim Shadmehr and his son, Zavosh Shadmehr.


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Trial of seven Baha&#039;i leaders in Iran looms

 

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Baha'i International Community rejects allegations that arrested Baha'is had weapons in homes

9 January 2010
GENEVA —

</SPAN>The Baha'i International Community today categorically rejected new allegations by the Iranian government that arms and ammunition were found in the homes of Baha'is who were arrested in Tehran last Sunday.

"This is nothing less than a blatant lie," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "Baha'is are by the most basic principles of their faith committed to absolute nonviolence, and any charge that there might have been weapons or 'live rounds' in their homes is simply and completely unbelievable.

"Without doubt, these are baseless fabrications devised by the government to further create an atmosphere of prejudice and hatred against the Iranian Baha'i community. For more than a century Baha'is have suffered all manner of persecution in Iran and have not resorted to armed violence, and everyone knows this. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is once again resorting to outright falsehoods to justify its nefarious intentions against the Baha'i community. It should know that these lies will have no credibility whatsoever.

"We are particularly concerned by the fact that these accusations come just days before the scheduled trial of seven Baha'i leaders, who have been locked up for nearly two years on equally unfounded charges," she said.

"All of these latest accusations are so far-fetched as to be ludicrous if they were not so obviously aimed at putting innocent lives at risk," she said. "As we have said before, rather than accepting responsibility for the turmoil in the country, the Iranian government seeks to lay the blame on others, including foreign powers, international organizations and media outlets, students, women, and terrorists."
On Friday, several news agencies reported that Tehran's general prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, said the Baha'is who were arrested on Sunday "were arrested because they played a role in organizing the Ashura protests and namely for having sent abroad pictures of the unrest."

"They were not arrested because they are Baha'is," said Mr. Dolatabadi, according to Agence France Presse. "Arms and ammunition were seized in the homes of some of them."

Ms. Ala'i also rejected Mr. Dolatabadi's assertions that Baha'is were involved in the planning of the Ashura demonstrations, or in any violent or subversive activity related to the recent turmoil in Iran.

"For the past 30 years, Iranian Baha'is have been subjected to the worst forms of persecution, ranging from arbitrary execution to the exclusion of their children from school," said Ms. Ala'i. "Yet they have responded only through means that are peaceful and legal."

Seven Baha'is leaders are scheduled to go on trial on Tuesday on trumped-up charges of espionage, "insulting religious sanctities," and "propaganda" against the government. They have been held in Evin prison since mid-2008. The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

On Sunday, 13 Baha'is were arrested in early morning raids on their homes in Tehran. Three have been released but 10 remain detained at Evin prison.
They are: Leva Khanjani, granddaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani, and her husband, Babak Mobasher; Jinous Sobhani, former secretary of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, and her husband Artin Ghazanfari; Mehran Rowhani and Farid Rowhani, who are brothers; Payam Fanaian; Nikav Hoveydaie; and Ebrahim Shadmehr and his son, Zavosh Shadmehr.
http://www.bcca.org/bahaivision/p0801.html